"Hello World" MITdesignX - MITdesignX
MIT Accelerating Innovation in Design, Cities, and the Built Environemnt
Littor.al Predictive mapping to protect coastal communities and regions.
Loopa Furniture asset manager and marketplace.
SofDesk Medium is the Massage. Tailor-made technology that feels you.
Ingot AI A computer vision-based 3D monitoring technology synced with a marketplace that helps contractors efficiently manage and resell construction waste
Chakula bora Safer food systems for all
romps A good fit for growing feet
The Middle Frame Not your typical Arab images
Visible Hands Inclusion improves innovation.
Rarify Experience rare design.
Harness the Heat Urban comfort out of thin air
Tangible A location Intelligence, AI prediction platform built to help tangible businesses scale.
ReFuse Using the value of waste to create better living conditions in refugee camps.
Somoto Somoto transforms community infrastructure into creative learning spaces for young people
T-Space Improving transit stations through revolutionary retail
p(art)ner Matching developers with diverse artists and managing public art requirements
Out of the Box Creating exceptional learning environments, right out of the box
Elements Design learning in a box
ECHO Digital platform to improve housing and mobility choices of lower income populations
Buy-In Database and platform to improve government buy-out process of flood prone properties
acelab Preconstruction intelligence for architects and manufacturers
Starlings Technology Enhancing the sustainability, safety, and harmony of urban streets with peer-to-peer synchronized technology for micromobility
TULU Live Large in Small Space
Bandhu’ Enabling low income workers in India to make insightful seasonal migration decisions for employment, housing and transportation.
Ogee! A business-to-consumer company that will help homeowners save their architectural histories using digital fabrication.
Spatio Metrics Creating a world where every building makes us healthier
Quipu A marketplace digitalization of informal economies operating in low income environments
Zilper Trenchless A novel machine for installing pipelines in urban environments without digging trenches.
Nesterly A social enterprise that matches empty nesters with graduate students to provide housing and social solutions.
HostaLabs Software algorithms to turn simple pictures into intelligent 3D models for design and renovation.
Placeful Technology to identify, design and develop neighborhood-scale housing with the efficiencies of larger development.
LearningBeautiful Creating Montessori-inspired toys for young children to learn computer science-without using computers.
Bitsence A space utilization analytics company helping managers of physical space maximize the utility of their assets through automated monitoring.
Biobot Analytics Measuring the concentration of drugs that are excreted in urine and collected in sewers and mapping this data to empower communities to tackle the opioid epidemic in real time.
Alight Transforming public buses into vehicles of urban exploration by employing audio-augmented reality on smartphones.
Airworks Capturing and converting aerial imagery into digital CAD plans for site surveys and construction monitoring.
Frolic Revolutionary new financing model for homeownership that allows a greater cross section of society to engage in the housing market.
Kawsay Connecting infrastructure providers with people living in informal communities in the developing world.
predictRE Software to help commercial real estate investors, brokers, and lenders make data-driven investment decisions based on planning and environmental trends and forecasts.
Spaceus Empowering creative communities in cities by transforming vacant and underutilized buildings into collective and collaborative artist studios and gallery space.
Season Three Next generation all-weather boot sold direct-to-consumer.
SkinPixel Real-time diagnostic "smart tattoo" for human skin to monitor levels of blood analytes like glucose, sodium, potassium, albumin, and others such as those found on a basic blood panel.
Dormio Physical and digital interface to influence and record your dreams.
PREPHub Public space infrastructure for disaster resilience and response.
Credi Early childhood learning environment furniture in rural and developing parts of India.
Adaviv AI-enabled adaptive environment for improving yields in indoor agriculture.

MITdesignX

MITdesignX is an academic program in the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) and part of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MIT MAD).  We are dedicated to design innovation and entrepreneurship and empower students, faculty and researchers to build new business ventures and forward-thinking solutions designed to address critical challenges facing the future of cities and the human environment.

TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTION: VENTURE ACCELERATOR

MITdesignX provides resources to build new solutions, systems and ventures. Successful ventures exist at the intersection of design, business, science and technology. Interdisciplinary teams of creative thinkers and makers fast-track the development of their innovations and launch ventures into the marketplace. We turn ideas into action.

Reasons to Join

Venture Design
The accelerator is rooted on two customized interdisciplinary courses: (1) An intensive Bootcamp during the MIT winter semester (IAP) and (2) A 4-month accelerator program during the Spring term where teams and ideas evolve into startups. Using design thinking methodology, the courses present tools and strategies for entrepreneurs to test and build their ventures.
Academic Credits
Participants in the MITdesignX Venture Accelerator receive a total of 18 academic credits. 6 in the IAP Bootcamp and 12 in the Spring semester course.
Funding
Each team in the accelerator receives a $10,000 equity-free no strings attached grant for project related expenses. Specific details on the distribution and rules governing the distribution of funds is found in our FAQ page.
Pilot Opportunities
Accelerator teams must engage in active market research and continuous prototyping of their core concept, venturing out to meet actual customers, users and stakeholders. The program encourages testing and retesting solutions in real-world settings. To enable this, MITdesignX and our partners, supporters and mentors help connect teams to pilot opportunities in the Boston/Cambridge area and around the world.
Workspace
We provide an exciting 24/7 work environment for our cohorts in a dynamic space located in the School of Architecture and Planning. After the Spring course, we help new startups find space in Cambridge, Boston, New York and beyond. Some startups also continue to use our space for the remainder of the calendar year.
Mentorship
Over 30 professionals with extensive experience in creating and leading ventures of various sizes and civic and business leaders provide in-depth guidance to MITdesignX teams. Their contribution includes assistance in general business strategy in addition to specific advisory support in technological, legal, financial and operational issues.
Network
MITdesignX teams have access to a vast network of academic and industry experts, alumni, civic and community organizations.
Community
We foster a culture of collaboration and creative problem solving. And we like to have fun! We are doing things we care about, because we think they will tangibly improve quality of life and the human environments.

THE MITDESIGNX VENTURE ACCELERATOR IS A NEW APPROACH TO DESIGN INNOVATION, ONE THAT IS BASED ON CREATIVE OPTIMISM, AND THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THE PROGRAM IS A LAUNCHING PAD FOR STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND FACULTY IN SA+P, AND THEIR COLLABORATORS ACROSS THE MIT COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD. WE TAILOR A SERIES OF DESIGN AND BUSINESS CLASSES, PROVIDE ACADEMIC CREDITS, GRANTS, WORKSPACE AND A WIDE NETWORK OF DEDICATED MENTORS, BUSINESS, INSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNMENT CONTACTS AND FUNDING SPECIALISTS TO BUILD NEW VENTURES.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

We look for creative innovators dedicated to improving the quality of life in cities and the human environment. MITdesignX seeks diverse, interdisciplinary teams working on challenging ideas with clear vision, passion and a drive to design solutions and launch real ventures.

Each Fall, applicants go through a rigorous selection process that reviews venture designs and ideas based on human and social impact, feasibility, uniqueness, and scalability as well as team composition, diversity and skillset. Finalists pitch before a panel of judges to enter the program.

Applicants may include graduate students, researchers, staff and/or faculty members from SA+P, MAD and their collaborators from across MIT, other universities and beyond.

Previous teams in MITdesignX have included participants from across MIT including SA+P, computer science, engineering, management, biology, and the humanities.

VENTURE DESIGN IN PRACTICE: ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK

Understand

What is the need/problem we aim to solve and who will benefit from our solution

Needs Analysis
Market
Segmenta­tion
Stakeholder Map
Deconstruc­tion

Need/problem description based on interviews and data insights

Determine who are your customers

Analysis of all stake-holder groups and how they benefit from a solution

An analysis of your research and a check on venture feasibility

Team statement describing what the venture is designed to do

Statement and images describing why stakeholders / customers would apply / buy the solution

Map of what the user will experience

Turn your ideas into actual products or systems for testing

Mission Design
Value
Proposi­tion
User Journey
Rapid Prototyping

Solve

What is our solution and why is it beneficial to all stakeholders

Envision

What do we want to achieve and what values guide our decision making

Team statement describing what the team aspires to achieve

Team manifesto outlining founder core values and leadership principles

How a venture creates, delivers, and captures value and generate revenue

Negotiation skills and learning how to recruit and partner with the right people

Vision Design
Founder's Values / Negotiations
Business Model
People and Partners
Action Plan
Financial Plan
Funding Strategy
Messaging And Pitches

A goal-oriented action plan for effective and fast scaling of your venture

Three year revenue and cost plans based on team vision and objectives

Introduction to funding options and calculation of funding needs

The venture storyline and key message to stakeholders and sponsors / investors

How will we launch, scale and fund our venture

Scale

MITDESIGNX TEAMS DESIGN VENTURES. THEY CREATE A VISION, SYSTEM, STRATEGY, AND BUSINESS MODEL AND BUILD PROTOTYPES THAT EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND FUNCTION OF THEIR IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS. OUR ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK CONSISTS OF FOUR STEPS. EACH STEP INCLUDES A SET OF INTEGRATED MODULES WHERE TEAMS EXPLORE TOPICS THROUGH WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, PINUPS, MENTOR SESSIONS, SITE VISITS AND DIRECT CUSTOMER INTERACTION.

The first step of the framework is to understand the need or problem the new venture is being designed to solve. The teams engage directly with people and stakeholders to learn as much as possible about who they are, and what are their needs and pain points. Based on that understanding, the second step is to clearly define the core concept/function/product/service that will provide the required solution. The third step is to envision what the venture and its founders want to achieve, and define the fundamental principles that will guide their decision making, development and operations including financing of the venture. The fourth and final step is focused on developing a master plan of priorities, people, processes and funds needed to effectively deploy and scale the venture.

 

At the end of the program, all teams will have developed a prototype, investor pitch deck and a “masterplan” for their venture – outlining key actions and strategies. The accelerator program culminates with a pitch night for teams to introduce their ventures to hundreds of investors, stakeholders, civic and industry partners.

RESEARCH

Research is at the core of the MITdesignX program. The academic framework of the accelerator is reinforced by discovery of new knowledge through rigorous research and learning experiences examining disruption and innovation within the design and urban domains. Co-creation, collaboration, and the exploration of ideas fuel the discovery process and aid the innovative strategies of MITdesignX teams. This discovery process draws on advanced research projects led by faculty and researchers focused on entrepreneurial performance, education for innovation and design solutions for cities and the human environment.

INTERNSHIPS

During the summer and IAP, we work with MISTI to support internship opportunities in Reykjavik, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Venice and Hong Kong.

Contact us for more information.

GLOBAL IMPACT

Our work and the work of MITdesignX ventures is designed to have a global impact. Through several international partnerships, we expand academic and venture networks for our students, faculty and researchers. Projects include our workshop with the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, social venture workshop with the University of Iceland, accelerators in Venice with SerenDPT, and in Dubai with DIEZ, Dtec and GGH, and a collaboration with OGS and MISTI working with Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs. And of course, MITdesignX ventures create their own impact with their work around the globe.

 

 

DesignX

School of Architecture and Planning / Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue 7—336
Cambridge MA 02139

Consult with Us

MITdesignX faculty and staff are available for inquiries and consultations throughout the year. Please email us to sign up for office hours.

Find Us

MITdesignX - MITdesignX
MIT Accelerating Innovation in Design, Cities, and the Built Environemnt
Littor.al Predictive mapping to protect coastal communities and regions.
Loopa Furniture asset manager and marketplace.
SofDesk Medium is the Massage. Tailor-made technology that feels you.
Ingot AI A computer vision-based 3D monitoring technology synced with a marketplace that helps contractors efficiently manage and resell construction waste
Chakula bora Safer food systems for all
romps A good fit for growing feet
The Middle Frame Not your typical Arab images
Visible Hands Inclusion improves innovation.
Rarify Experience rare design.
Harness the Heat Urban comfort out of thin air
Tangible A location Intelligence, AI prediction platform built to help tangible businesses scale.
ReFuse Using the value of waste to create better living conditions in refugee camps.
Somoto Somoto transforms community infrastructure into creative learning spaces for young people
T-Space Improving transit stations through revolutionary retail
p(art)ner Matching developers with diverse artists and managing public art requirements
Out of the Box Creating exceptional learning environments, right out of the box
Elements Design learning in a box
ECHO Digital platform to improve housing and mobility choices of lower income populations
Buy-In Database and platform to improve government buy-out process of flood prone properties
acelab Preconstruction intelligence for architects and manufacturers
Starlings Technology Enhancing the sustainability, safety, and harmony of urban streets with peer-to-peer synchronized technology for micromobility
TULU Live Large in Small Space
Bandhu’ Enabling low income workers in India to make insightful seasonal migration decisions for employment, housing and transportation.
Ogee! A business-to-consumer company that will help homeowners save their architectural histories using digital fabrication.
Spatio Metrics Creating a world where every building makes us healthier
Quipu A marketplace digitalization of informal economies operating in low income environments
Zilper Trenchless A novel machine for installing pipelines in urban environments without digging trenches.
Nesterly A social enterprise that matches empty nesters with graduate students to provide housing and social solutions.
HostaLabs Software algorithms to turn simple pictures into intelligent 3D models for design and renovation.
Placeful Technology to identify, design and develop neighborhood-scale housing with the efficiencies of larger development.
LearningBeautiful Creating Montessori-inspired toys for young children to learn computer science-without using computers.
Bitsence A space utilization analytics company helping managers of physical space maximize the utility of their assets through automated monitoring.
Biobot Analytics Measuring the concentration of drugs that are excreted in urine and collected in sewers and mapping this data to empower communities to tackle the opioid epidemic in real time.
Alight Transforming public buses into vehicles of urban exploration by employing audio-augmented reality on smartphones.
Airworks Capturing and converting aerial imagery into digital CAD plans for site surveys and construction monitoring.
Frolic Revolutionary new financing model for homeownership that allows a greater cross section of society to engage in the housing market.
Kawsay Connecting infrastructure providers with people living in informal communities in the developing world.
predictRE Software to help commercial real estate investors, brokers, and lenders make data-driven investment decisions based on planning and environmental trends and forecasts.
Spaceus Empowering creative communities in cities by transforming vacant and underutilized buildings into collective and collaborative artist studios and gallery space.
Season Three Next generation all-weather boot sold direct-to-consumer.
SkinPixel Real-time diagnostic "smart tattoo" for human skin to monitor levels of blood analytes like glucose, sodium, potassium, albumin, and others such as those found on a basic blood panel.
Dormio Physical and digital interface to influence and record your dreams.
PREPHub Public space infrastructure for disaster resilience and response.
Credi Early childhood learning environment furniture in rural and developing parts of India.
Adaviv AI-enabled adaptive environment for improving yields in indoor agriculture.

MITdesignX

MITdesignX is an academic program in the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) and part of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MIT MAD).  We are dedicated to design innovation and entrepreneurship and empower students, faculty and researchers to build new business ventures and forward-thinking solutions designed to address critical challenges facing the future of cities and the human environment.

TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTION: VENTURE ACCELERATOR

MITdesignX provides resources to build new solutions, systems and ventures. Successful ventures exist at the intersection of design, business, science and technology. Interdisciplinary teams of creative thinkers and makers fast-track the development of their innovations and launch ventures into the marketplace. We turn ideas into action.

Reasons to Join

Venture Design
The accelerator is rooted on two customized interdisciplinary courses: (1) An intensive Bootcamp during the MIT winter semester (IAP) and (2) A 4-month accelerator program during the Spring term where teams and ideas evolve into startups. Using design thinking methodology, the courses present tools and strategies for entrepreneurs to test and build their ventures.
Academic Credits
Participants in the MITdesignX Venture Accelerator receive a total of 18 academic credits. 6 in the IAP Bootcamp and 12 in the Spring semester course.
Funding
Each team in the accelerator receives a $10,000 equity-free no strings attached grant for project related expenses. Specific details on the distribution and rules governing the distribution of funds is found in our FAQ page.
Pilot Opportunities
Accelerator teams must engage in active market research and continuous prototyping of their core concept, venturing out to meet actual customers, users and stakeholders. The program encourages testing and retesting solutions in real-world settings. To enable this, MITdesignX and our partners, supporters and mentors help connect teams to pilot opportunities in the Boston/Cambridge area and around the world.
Workspace
We provide an exciting 24/7 work environment for our cohorts in a dynamic space located in the School of Architecture and Planning. After the Spring course, we help new startups find space in Cambridge, Boston, New York and beyond. Some startups also continue to use our space for the remainder of the calendar year.
Mentorship
Over 30 professionals with extensive experience in creating and leading ventures of various sizes and civic and business leaders provide in-depth guidance to MITdesignX teams. Their contribution includes assistance in general business strategy in addition to specific advisory support in technological, legal, financial and operational issues.
Network
MITdesignX teams have access to a vast network of academic and industry experts, alumni, civic and community organizations.
Community
We foster a culture of collaboration and creative problem solving. And we like to have fun! We are doing things we care about, because we think they will tangibly improve quality of life and the human environments.

THE MITDESIGNX VENTURE ACCELERATOR IS A NEW APPROACH TO DESIGN INNOVATION, ONE THAT IS BASED ON CREATIVE OPTIMISM, AND THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THE PROGRAM IS A LAUNCHING PAD FOR STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND FACULTY IN SA+P, AND THEIR COLLABORATORS ACROSS THE MIT COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD. WE TAILOR A SERIES OF DESIGN AND BUSINESS CLASSES, PROVIDE ACADEMIC CREDITS, GRANTS, WORKSPACE AND A WIDE NETWORK OF DEDICATED MENTORS, BUSINESS, INSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNMENT CONTACTS AND FUNDING SPECIALISTS TO BUILD NEW VENTURES.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

We look for creative innovators dedicated to improving the quality of life in cities and the human environment. MITdesignX seeks diverse, interdisciplinary teams working on challenging ideas with clear vision, passion and a drive to design solutions and launch real ventures.

Each Fall, applicants go through a rigorous selection process that reviews venture designs and ideas based on human and social impact, feasibility, uniqueness, and scalability as well as team composition, diversity and skillset. Finalists pitch before a panel of judges to enter the program.

Applicants may include graduate students, researchers, staff and/or faculty members from SA+P, MAD and their collaborators from across MIT, other universities and beyond.

Previous teams in MITdesignX have included participants from across MIT including SA+P, computer science, engineering, management, biology, and the humanities.

VENTURE DESIGN IN PRACTICE: ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK

Understand

What is the need/problem we aim to solve and who will benefit from our solution

Needs Analysis
Market
Segmenta­tion
Stakeholder Map
Deconstruc­tion

Need/problem description based on interviews and data insights

Determine who are your customers

Analysis of all stake-holder groups and how they benefit from a solution

An analysis of your research and a check on venture feasibility

Team statement describing what the venture is designed to do

Statement and images describing why stakeholders / customers would apply / buy the solution

Map of what the user will experience

Turn your ideas into actual products or systems for testing

Mission Design
Value
Proposi­tion
User Journey
Rapid Prototyping

Solve

What is our solution and why is it beneficial to all stakeholders

Envision

What do we want to achieve and what values guide our decision making

Team statement describing what the team aspires to achieve

Team manifesto outlining founder core values and leadership principles

How a venture creates, delivers, and captures value and generate revenue

Negotiation skills and learning how to recruit and partner with the right people

Vision Design
Founder's Values / Negotiations
Business Model
People and Partners
Action Plan
Financial Plan
Funding Strategy
Messaging And Pitches

A goal-oriented action plan for effective and fast scaling of your venture

Three year revenue and cost plans based on team vision and objectives

Introduction to funding options and calculation of funding needs

The venture storyline and key message to stakeholders and sponsors / investors

How will we launch, scale and fund our venture

Scale

MITDESIGNX TEAMS DESIGN VENTURES. THEY CREATE A VISION, SYSTEM, STRATEGY, AND BUSINESS MODEL AND BUILD PROTOTYPES THAT EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND FUNCTION OF THEIR IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS. OUR ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK CONSISTS OF FOUR STEPS. EACH STEP INCLUDES A SET OF INTEGRATED MODULES WHERE TEAMS EXPLORE TOPICS THROUGH WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, PINUPS, MENTOR SESSIONS, SITE VISITS AND DIRECT CUSTOMER INTERACTION.

The first step of the framework is to understand the need or problem the new venture is being designed to solve. The teams engage directly with people and stakeholders to learn as much as possible about who they are, and what are their needs and pain points. Based on that understanding, the second step is to clearly define the core concept/function/product/service that will provide the required solution. The third step is to envision what the venture and its founders want to achieve, and define the fundamental principles that will guide their decision making, development and operations including financing of the venture. The fourth and final step is focused on developing a master plan of priorities, people, processes and funds needed to effectively deploy and scale the venture.

 

At the end of the program, all teams will have developed a prototype, investor pitch deck and a “masterplan” for their venture – outlining key actions and strategies. The accelerator program culminates with a pitch night for teams to introduce their ventures to hundreds of investors, stakeholders, civic and industry partners.

RESEARCH

Research is at the core of the MITdesignX program. The academic framework of the accelerator is reinforced by discovery of new knowledge through rigorous research and learning experiences examining disruption and innovation within the design and urban domains. Co-creation, collaboration, and the exploration of ideas fuel the discovery process and aid the innovative strategies of MITdesignX teams. This discovery process draws on advanced research projects led by faculty and researchers focused on entrepreneurial performance, education for innovation and design solutions for cities and the human environment.

INTERNSHIPS

During the summer and IAP, we work with MISTI to support internship opportunities in Reykjavik, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Venice and Hong Kong.

Contact us for more information.

GLOBAL IMPACT

Our work and the work of MITdesignX ventures is designed to have a global impact. Through several international partnerships, we expand academic and venture networks for our students, faculty and researchers. Projects include our workshop with the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, social venture workshop with the University of Iceland, accelerators in Venice with SerenDPT, and in Dubai with DIEZ, Dtec and GGH, and a collaboration with OGS and MISTI working with Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs. And of course, MITdesignX ventures create their own impact with their work around the globe.

 

 

DesignX

School of Architecture and Planning / Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue 7—336
Cambridge MA 02139

Consult with Us

MITdesignX faculty and staff are available for inquiries and consultations throughout the year. Please email us to sign up for office hours.

Find Us

MIT Accelerating Innovation in Design, Cities, and the Built Environemnt
Littor.al Predictive mapping to protect coastal communities and regions.
Loopa Furniture asset manager and marketplace.
SofDesk Medium is the Massage. Tailor-made technology that feels you.
Ingot AI A computer vision-based 3D monitoring technology synced with a marketplace that helps contractors efficiently manage and resell construction waste
Chakula bora Safer food systems for all
romps A good fit for growing feet
The Middle Frame Not your typical Arab images
Visible Hands Inclusion improves innovation.
Rarify Experience rare design.
Harness the Heat Urban comfort out of thin air
Tangible A location Intelligence, AI prediction platform built to help tangible businesses scale.
ReFuse Using the value of waste to create better living conditions in refugee camps.
Somoto Somoto transforms community infrastructure into creative learning spaces for young people
T-Space Improving transit stations through revolutionary retail
p(art)ner Matching developers with diverse artists and managing public art requirements
Out of the Box Creating exceptional learning environments, right out of the box
Elements Design learning in a box
ECHO Digital platform to improve housing and mobility choices of lower income populations
Buy-In Database and platform to improve government buy-out process of flood prone properties
acelab Preconstruction intelligence for architects and manufacturers
Starlings Technology Enhancing the sustainability, safety, and harmony of urban streets with peer-to-peer synchronized technology for micromobility
TULU Live Large in Small Space
Bandhu’ Enabling low income workers in India to make insightful seasonal migration decisions for employment, housing and transportation.
Ogee! A business-to-consumer company that will help homeowners save their architectural histories using digital fabrication.
Spatio Metrics Creating a world where every building makes us healthier
Quipu A marketplace digitalization of informal economies operating in low income environments
Zilper Trenchless A novel machine for installing pipelines in urban environments without digging trenches.
Nesterly A social enterprise that matches empty nesters with graduate students to provide housing and social solutions.
HostaLabs Software algorithms to turn simple pictures into intelligent 3D models for design and renovation.
Placeful Technology to identify, design and develop neighborhood-scale housing with the efficiencies of larger development.
LearningBeautiful Creating Montessori-inspired toys for young children to learn computer science-without using computers.
Bitsence A space utilization analytics company helping managers of physical space maximize the utility of their assets through automated monitoring.
Biobot Analytics Measuring the concentration of drugs that are excreted in urine and collected in sewers and mapping this data to empower communities to tackle the opioid epidemic in real time.
Alight Transforming public buses into vehicles of urban exploration by employing audio-augmented reality on smartphones.
Airworks Capturing and converting aerial imagery into digital CAD plans for site surveys and construction monitoring.
Frolic Revolutionary new financing model for homeownership that allows a greater cross section of society to engage in the housing market.
Kawsay Connecting infrastructure providers with people living in informal communities in the developing world.
predictRE Software to help commercial real estate investors, brokers, and lenders make data-driven investment decisions based on planning and environmental trends and forecasts.
Spaceus Empowering creative communities in cities by transforming vacant and underutilized buildings into collective and collaborative artist studios and gallery space.
Season Three Next generation all-weather boot sold direct-to-consumer.
SkinPixel Real-time diagnostic "smart tattoo" for human skin to monitor levels of blood analytes like glucose, sodium, potassium, albumin, and others such as those found on a basic blood panel.
Dormio Physical and digital interface to influence and record your dreams.
PREPHub Public space infrastructure for disaster resilience and response.
Credi Early childhood learning environment furniture in rural and developing parts of India.
Adaviv AI-enabled adaptive environment for improving yields in indoor agriculture.

MITdesignX

MITdesignX is an academic program in the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) and part of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MIT MAD).  We are dedicated to design innovation and entrepreneurship and empower students, faculty and researchers to build new business ventures and forward-thinking solutions designed to address critical challenges facing the future of cities and the human environment.

TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTION: VENTURE ACCELERATOR

MITdesignX provides resources to build new solutions, systems and ventures. Successful ventures exist at the intersection of design, business, science and technology. Interdisciplinary teams of creative thinkers and makers fast-track the development of their innovations and launch ventures into the marketplace. We turn ideas into action.

Reasons to Join

Venture Design
The accelerator is rooted on two customized interdisciplinary courses: (1) An intensive Bootcamp during the MIT winter semester (IAP) and (2) A 4-month accelerator program during the Spring term where teams and ideas evolve into startups. Using design thinking methodology, the courses present tools and strategies for entrepreneurs to test and build their ventures.
Academic Credits
Participants in the MITdesignX Venture Accelerator receive a total of 18 academic credits. 6 in the IAP Bootcamp and 12 in the Spring semester course.
Funding
Each team in the accelerator receives a $10,000 equity-free no strings attached grant for project related expenses. Specific details on the distribution and rules governing the distribution of funds is found in our FAQ page.
Pilot Opportunities
Accelerator teams must engage in active market research and continuous prototyping of their core concept, venturing out to meet actual customers, users and stakeholders. The program encourages testing and retesting solutions in real-world settings. To enable this, MITdesignX and our partners, supporters and mentors help connect teams to pilot opportunities in the Boston/Cambridge area and around the world.
Workspace
We provide an exciting 24/7 work environment for our cohorts in a dynamic space located in the School of Architecture and Planning. After the Spring course, we help new startups find space in Cambridge, Boston, New York and beyond. Some startups also continue to use our space for the remainder of the calendar year.
Mentorship
Over 30 professionals with extensive experience in creating and leading ventures of various sizes and civic and business leaders provide in-depth guidance to MITdesignX teams. Their contribution includes assistance in general business strategy in addition to specific advisory support in technological, legal, financial and operational issues.
Network
MITdesignX teams have access to a vast network of academic and industry experts, alumni, civic and community organizations.
Community
We foster a culture of collaboration and creative problem solving. And we like to have fun! We are doing things we care about, because we think they will tangibly improve quality of life and the human environments.

THE MITDESIGNX VENTURE ACCELERATOR IS A NEW APPROACH TO DESIGN INNOVATION, ONE THAT IS BASED ON CREATIVE OPTIMISM, AND THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THE PROGRAM IS A LAUNCHING PAD FOR STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND FACULTY IN SA+P, AND THEIR COLLABORATORS ACROSS THE MIT COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD. WE TAILOR A SERIES OF DESIGN AND BUSINESS CLASSES, PROVIDE ACADEMIC CREDITS, GRANTS, WORKSPACE AND A WIDE NETWORK OF DEDICATED MENTORS, BUSINESS, INSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNMENT CONTACTS AND FUNDING SPECIALISTS TO BUILD NEW VENTURES.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

We look for creative innovators dedicated to improving the quality of life in cities and the human environment. MITdesignX seeks diverse, interdisciplinary teams working on challenging ideas with clear vision, passion and a drive to design solutions and launch real ventures.

Each Fall, applicants go through a rigorous selection process that reviews venture designs and ideas based on human and social impact, feasibility, uniqueness, and scalability as well as team composition, diversity and skillset. Finalists pitch before a panel of judges to enter the program.

Applicants may include graduate students, researchers, staff and/or faculty members from SA+P, MAD and their collaborators from across MIT, other universities and beyond.

Previous teams in MITdesignX have included participants from across MIT including SA+P, computer science, engineering, management, biology, and the humanities.

VENTURE DESIGN IN PRACTICE: ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK

Understand

What is the need/problem we aim to solve and who will benefit from our solution

Needs Analysis
Market
Segmenta­tion
Stakeholder Map
Deconstruc­tion

Need/problem description based on interviews and data insights

Determine who are your customers

Analysis of all stake-holder groups and how they benefit from a solution

An analysis of your research and a check on venture feasibility

Team statement describing what the venture is designed to do

Statement and images describing why stakeholders / customers would apply / buy the solution

Map of what the user will experience

Turn your ideas into actual products or systems for testing

Mission Design
Value
Proposi­tion
User Journey
Rapid Prototyping

Solve

What is our solution and why is it beneficial to all stakeholders

Envision

What do we want to achieve and what values guide our decision making

Team statement describing what the team aspires to achieve

Team manifesto outlining founder core values and leadership principles

How a venture creates, delivers, and captures value and generate revenue

Negotiation skills and learning how to recruit and partner with the right people

Vision Design
Founder's Values / Negotiations
Business Model
People and Partners
Action Plan
Financial Plan
Funding Strategy
Messaging And Pitches

A goal-oriented action plan for effective and fast scaling of your venture

Three year revenue and cost plans based on team vision and objectives

Introduction to funding options and calculation of funding needs

The venture storyline and key message to stakeholders and sponsors / investors

How will we launch, scale and fund our venture

Scale

MITDESIGNX TEAMS DESIGN VENTURES. THEY CREATE A VISION, SYSTEM, STRATEGY, AND BUSINESS MODEL AND BUILD PROTOTYPES THAT EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND FUNCTION OF THEIR IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS. OUR ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK CONSISTS OF FOUR STEPS. EACH STEP INCLUDES A SET OF INTEGRATED MODULES WHERE TEAMS EXPLORE TOPICS THROUGH WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, PINUPS, MENTOR SESSIONS, SITE VISITS AND DIRECT CUSTOMER INTERACTION.

The first step of the framework is to understand the need or problem the new venture is being designed to solve. The teams engage directly with people and stakeholders to learn as much as possible about who they are, and what are their needs and pain points. Based on that understanding, the second step is to clearly define the core concept/function/product/service that will provide the required solution. The third step is to envision what the venture and its founders want to achieve, and define the fundamental principles that will guide their decision making, development and operations including financing of the venture. The fourth and final step is focused on developing a master plan of priorities, people, processes and funds needed to effectively deploy and scale the venture.

 

At the end of the program, all teams will have developed a prototype, investor pitch deck and a “masterplan” for their venture – outlining key actions and strategies. The accelerator program culminates with a pitch night for teams to introduce their ventures to hundreds of investors, stakeholders, civic and industry partners.

RESEARCH

Research is at the core of the MITdesignX program. The academic framework of the accelerator is reinforced by discovery of new knowledge through rigorous research and learning experiences examining disruption and innovation within the design and urban domains. Co-creation, collaboration, and the exploration of ideas fuel the discovery process and aid the innovative strategies of MITdesignX teams. This discovery process draws on advanced research projects led by faculty and researchers focused on entrepreneurial performance, education for innovation and design solutions for cities and the human environment.

INTERNSHIPS

During the summer and IAP, we work with MISTI to support internship opportunities in Reykjavik, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Venice and Hong Kong.

Contact us for more information.

GLOBAL IMPACT

Our work and the work of MITdesignX ventures is designed to have a global impact. Through several international partnerships, we expand academic and venture networks for our students, faculty and researchers. Projects include our workshop with the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, social venture workshop with the University of Iceland, accelerators in Venice with SerenDPT, and in Dubai with DIEZ, Dtec and GGH, and a collaboration with OGS and MISTI working with Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs. And of course, MITdesignX ventures create their own impact with their work around the globe.

 

 

MITdesignX

MITdesignX is an academic program in the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) and part of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MIT MAD).  We are dedicated to design innovation and entrepreneurship and empower students, faculty and researchers to build new business ventures and forward-thinking solutions designed to address critical challenges facing the future of cities and the human environment.

TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTION: VENTURE ACCELERATOR

MITdesignX provides resources to build new solutions, systems and ventures. Successful ventures exist at the intersection of design, business, science and technology. Interdisciplinary teams of creative thinkers and makers fast-track the development of their innovations and launch ventures into the marketplace. We turn ideas into action.

Reasons to Join

Venture Design
The accelerator is rooted on two customized interdisciplinary courses: (1) An intensive Bootcamp during the MIT winter semester (IAP) and (2) A 4-month accelerator program during the Spring term where teams and ideas evolve into startups. Using design thinking methodology, the courses present tools and strategies for entrepreneurs to test and build their ventures.
Academic Credits
Participants in the MITdesignX Venture Accelerator receive a total of 18 academic credits. 6 in the IAP Bootcamp and 12 in the Spring semester course.
Funding
Each team in the accelerator receives a $10,000 equity-free no strings attached grant for project related expenses. Specific details on the distribution and rules governing the distribution of funds is found in our FAQ page.
Pilot Opportunities
Accelerator teams must engage in active market research and continuous prototyping of their core concept, venturing out to meet actual customers, users and stakeholders. The program encourages testing and retesting solutions in real-world settings. To enable this, MITdesignX and our partners, supporters and mentors help connect teams to pilot opportunities in the Boston/Cambridge area and around the world.
Workspace
We provide an exciting 24/7 work environment for our cohorts in a dynamic space located in the School of Architecture and Planning. After the Spring course, we help new startups find space in Cambridge, Boston, New York and beyond. Some startups also continue to use our space for the remainder of the calendar year.
Mentorship
Over 30 professionals with extensive experience in creating and leading ventures of various sizes and civic and business leaders provide in-depth guidance to MITdesignX teams. Their contribution includes assistance in general business strategy in addition to specific advisory support in technological, legal, financial and operational issues.
Network
MITdesignX teams have access to a vast network of academic and industry experts, alumni, civic and community organizations.
Community
We foster a culture of collaboration and creative problem solving. And we like to have fun! We are doing things we care about, because we think they will tangibly improve quality of life and the human environments.

THE MITDESIGNX VENTURE ACCELERATOR IS A NEW APPROACH TO DESIGN INNOVATION, ONE THAT IS BASED ON CREATIVE OPTIMISM, AND THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THE PROGRAM IS A LAUNCHING PAD FOR STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND FACULTY IN SA+P, AND THEIR COLLABORATORS ACROSS THE MIT COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD. WE TAILOR A SERIES OF DESIGN AND BUSINESS CLASSES, PROVIDE ACADEMIC CREDITS, GRANTS, WORKSPACE AND A WIDE NETWORK OF DEDICATED MENTORS, BUSINESS, INSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNMENT CONTACTS AND FUNDING SPECIALISTS TO BUILD NEW VENTURES.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

We look for creative innovators dedicated to improving the quality of life in cities and the human environment. MITdesignX seeks diverse, interdisciplinary teams working on challenging ideas with clear vision, passion and a drive to design solutions and launch real ventures.

Each Fall, applicants go through a rigorous selection process that reviews venture designs and ideas based on human and social impact, feasibility, uniqueness, and scalability as well as team composition, diversity and skillset. Finalists pitch before a panel of judges to enter the program.

Applicants may include graduate students, researchers, staff and/or faculty members from SA+P, MAD and their collaborators from across MIT, other universities and beyond.

Previous teams in MITdesignX have included participants from across MIT including SA+P, computer science, engineering, management, biology, and the humanities.

VENTURE DESIGN IN PRACTICE: ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK

Understand

What is the need/problem we aim to solve and who will benefit from our solution

Needs Analysis
Market
Segmenta­tion
Stakeholder Map
Deconstruc­tion

Need/problem description based on interviews and data insights

Determine who are your customers

Analysis of all stake-holder groups and how they benefit from a solution

An analysis of your research and a check on venture feasibility

Team statement describing what the venture is designed to do

Statement and images describing why stakeholders / customers would apply / buy the solution

Map of what the user will experience

Turn your ideas into actual products or systems for testing

Mission Design
Value
Proposi­tion
User Journey
Rapid Prototyping

Solve

What is our solution and why is it beneficial to all stakeholders

Envision

What do we want to achieve and what values guide our decision making

Team statement describing what the team aspires to achieve

Team manifesto outlining founder core values and leadership principles

How a venture creates, delivers, and captures value and generate revenue

Negotiation skills and learning how to recruit and partner with the right people

Vision Design
Founder's Values / Negotiations
Business Model
People and Partners
Action Plan
Financial Plan
Funding Strategy
Messaging And Pitches

A goal-oriented action plan for effective and fast scaling of your venture

Three year revenue and cost plans based on team vision and objectives

Introduction to funding options and calculation of funding needs

The venture storyline and key message to stakeholders and sponsors / investors

How will we launch, scale and fund our venture

Scale

MITDESIGNX TEAMS DESIGN VENTURES. THEY CREATE A VISION, SYSTEM, STRATEGY, AND BUSINESS MODEL AND BUILD PROTOTYPES THAT EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND FUNCTION OF THEIR IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS. OUR ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK CONSISTS OF FOUR STEPS. EACH STEP INCLUDES A SET OF INTEGRATED MODULES WHERE TEAMS EXPLORE TOPICS THROUGH WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, PINUPS, MENTOR SESSIONS, SITE VISITS AND DIRECT CUSTOMER INTERACTION.

The first step of the framework is to understand the need or problem the new venture is being designed to solve. The teams engage directly with people and stakeholders to learn as much as possible about who they are, and what are their needs and pain points. Based on that understanding, the second step is to clearly define the core concept/function/product/service that will provide the required solution. The third step is to envision what the venture and its founders want to achieve, and define the fundamental principles that will guide their decision making, development and operations including financing of the venture. The fourth and final step is focused on developing a master plan of priorities, people, processes and funds needed to effectively deploy and scale the venture.

 

At the end of the program, all teams will have developed a prototype, investor pitch deck and a “masterplan” for their venture – outlining key actions and strategies. The accelerator program culminates with a pitch night for teams to introduce their ventures to hundreds of investors, stakeholders, civic and industry partners.

RESEARCH

Research is at the core of the MITdesignX program. The academic framework of the accelerator is reinforced by discovery of new knowledge through rigorous research and learning experiences examining disruption and innovation within the design and urban domains. Co-creation, collaboration, and the exploration of ideas fuel the discovery process and aid the innovative strategies of MITdesignX teams. This discovery process draws on advanced research projects led by faculty and researchers focused on entrepreneurial performance, education for innovation and design solutions for cities and the human environment.

INTERNSHIPS

During the summer and IAP, we work with MISTI to support internship opportunities in Reykjavik, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Venice and Hong Kong.

Contact us for more information.

GLOBAL IMPACT

Our work and the work of MITdesignX ventures is designed to have a global impact. Through several international partnerships, we expand academic and venture networks for our students, faculty and researchers. Projects include our workshop with the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, social venture workshop with the University of Iceland, accelerators in Venice with SerenDPT, and in Dubai with DIEZ, Dtec and GGH, and a collaboration with OGS and MISTI working with Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs. And of course, MITdesignX ventures create their own impact with their work around the globe.

 

 

MITdesignX

MITdesignX is an academic program in the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) and part of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MIT MAD).  We are dedicated to design innovation and entrepreneurship and empower students, faculty and researchers to build new business ventures and forward-thinking solutions designed to address critical challenges facing the future of cities and the human environment.

TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTION: VENTURE ACCELERATOR

MITdesignX provides resources to build new solutions, systems and ventures. Successful ventures exist at the intersection of design, business, science and technology. Interdisciplinary teams of creative thinkers and makers fast-track the development of their innovations and launch ventures into the marketplace. We turn ideas into action.

Reasons to Join

Venture Design
The accelerator is rooted on two customized interdisciplinary courses: (1) An intensive Bootcamp during the MIT winter semester (IAP) and (2) A 4-month accelerator program during the Spring term where teams and ideas evolve into startups. Using design thinking methodology, the courses present tools and strategies for entrepreneurs to test and build their ventures.
Academic Credits
Participants in the MITdesignX Venture Accelerator receive a total of 18 academic credits. 6 in the IAP Bootcamp and 12 in the Spring semester course.
Funding
Each team in the accelerator receives a $10,000 equity-free no strings attached grant for project related expenses. Specific details on the distribution and rules governing the distribution of funds is found in our FAQ page.
Pilot Opportunities
Accelerator teams must engage in active market research and continuous prototyping of their core concept, venturing out to meet actual customers, users and stakeholders. The program encourages testing and retesting solutions in real-world settings. To enable this, MITdesignX and our partners, supporters and mentors help connect teams to pilot opportunities in the Boston/Cambridge area and around the world.
Workspace
We provide an exciting 24/7 work environment for our cohorts in a dynamic space located in the School of Architecture and Planning. After the Spring course, we help new startups find space in Cambridge, Boston, New York and beyond. Some startups also continue to use our space for the remainder of the calendar year.
Mentorship
Over 30 professionals with extensive experience in creating and leading ventures of various sizes and civic and business leaders provide in-depth guidance to MITdesignX teams. Their contribution includes assistance in general business strategy in addition to specific advisory support in technological, legal, financial and operational issues.
Network
MITdesignX teams have access to a vast network of academic and industry experts, alumni, civic and community organizations.
Community
We foster a culture of collaboration and creative problem solving. And we like to have fun! We are doing things we care about, because we think they will tangibly improve quality of life and the human environments.

THE MITDESIGNX VENTURE ACCELERATOR IS A NEW APPROACH TO DESIGN INNOVATION, ONE THAT IS BASED ON CREATIVE OPTIMISM, AND THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THE PROGRAM IS A LAUNCHING PAD FOR STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND FACULTY IN SA+P, AND THEIR COLLABORATORS ACROSS THE MIT COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD. WE TAILOR A SERIES OF DESIGN AND BUSINESS CLASSES, PROVIDE ACADEMIC CREDITS, GRANTS, WORKSPACE AND A WIDE NETWORK OF DEDICATED MENTORS, BUSINESS, INSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNMENT CONTACTS AND FUNDING SPECIALISTS TO BUILD NEW VENTURES.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

We look for creative innovators dedicated to improving the quality of life in cities and the human environment. MITdesignX seeks diverse, interdisciplinary teams working on challenging ideas with clear vision, passion and a drive to design solutions and launch real ventures.

Each Fall, applicants go through a rigorous selection process that reviews venture designs and ideas based on human and social impact, feasibility, uniqueness, and scalability as well as team composition, diversity and skillset. Finalists pitch before a panel of judges to enter the program.

Applicants may include graduate students, researchers, staff and/or faculty members from SA+P, MAD and their collaborators from across MIT, other universities and beyond.

Previous teams in MITdesignX have included participants from across MIT including SA+P, computer science, engineering, management, biology, and the humanities.

VENTURE DESIGN IN PRACTICE: ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK

Understand

What is the need/problem we aim to solve and who will benefit from our solution

Needs Analysis
Market
Segmenta­tion
Stakeholder Map
Deconstruc­tion

Need/problem description based on interviews and data insights

Determine who are your customers

Analysis of all stake-holder groups and how they benefit from a solution

An analysis of your research and a check on venture feasibility

Team statement describing what the venture is designed to do

Statement and images describing why stakeholders / customers would apply / buy the solution

Map of what the user will experience

Turn your ideas into actual products or systems for testing

Mission Design
Value
Proposi­tion
User Journey
Rapid Prototyping

Solve

What is our solution and why is it beneficial to all stakeholders

Envision

What do we want to achieve and what values guide our decision making

Team statement describing what the team aspires to achieve

Team manifesto outlining founder core values and leadership principles

How a venture creates, delivers, and captures value and generate revenue

Negotiation skills and learning how to recruit and partner with the right people

Vision Design
Founder's Values / Negotiations
Business Model
People and Partners
Action Plan
Financial Plan
Funding Strategy
Messaging And Pitches

A goal-oriented action plan for effective and fast scaling of your venture

Three year revenue and cost plans based on team vision and objectives

Introduction to funding options and calculation of funding needs

The venture storyline and key message to stakeholders and sponsors / investors

How will we launch, scale and fund our venture

Scale

MITDESIGNX TEAMS DESIGN VENTURES. THEY CREATE A VISION, SYSTEM, STRATEGY, AND BUSINESS MODEL AND BUILD PROTOTYPES THAT EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND FUNCTION OF THEIR IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS. OUR ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK CONSISTS OF FOUR STEPS. EACH STEP INCLUDES A SET OF INTEGRATED MODULES WHERE TEAMS EXPLORE TOPICS THROUGH WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, PINUPS, MENTOR SESSIONS, SITE VISITS AND DIRECT CUSTOMER INTERACTION.

The first step of the framework is to understand the need or problem the new venture is being designed to solve. The teams engage directly with people and stakeholders to learn as much as possible about who they are, and what are their needs and pain points. Based on that understanding, the second step is to clearly define the core concept/function/product/service that will provide the required solution. The third step is to envision what the venture and its founders want to achieve, and define the fundamental principles that will guide their decision making, development and operations including financing of the venture. The fourth and final step is focused on developing a master plan of priorities, people, processes and funds needed to effectively deploy and scale the venture.

 

At the end of the program, all teams will have developed a prototype, investor pitch deck and a “masterplan” for their venture – outlining key actions and strategies. The accelerator program culminates with a pitch night for teams to introduce their ventures to hundreds of investors, stakeholders, civic and industry partners.

RESEARCH

Research is at the core of the MITdesignX program. The academic framework of the accelerator is reinforced by discovery of new knowledge through rigorous research and learning experiences examining disruption and innovation within the design and urban domains. Co-creation, collaboration, and the exploration of ideas fuel the discovery process and aid the innovative strategies of MITdesignX teams. This discovery process draws on advanced research projects led by faculty and researchers focused on entrepreneurial performance, education for innovation and design solutions for cities and the human environment.

INTERNSHIPS

During the summer and IAP, we work with MISTI to support internship opportunities in Reykjavik, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Venice and Hong Kong.

Contact us for more information.

GLOBAL IMPACT

Our work and the work of MITdesignX ventures is designed to have a global impact. Through several international partnerships, we expand academic and venture networks for our students, faculty and researchers. Projects include our workshop with the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, social venture workshop with the University of Iceland, accelerators in Venice with SerenDPT, and in Dubai with DIEZ, Dtec and GGH, and a collaboration with OGS and MISTI working with Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs. And of course, MITdesignX ventures create their own impact with their work around the globe.

 

 

MITdesignX

MITdesignX is an academic program in the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) and part of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MIT MAD).  We are dedicated to design innovation and entrepreneurship and empower students, faculty and researchers to build new business ventures and forward-thinking solutions designed to address critical challenges facing the future of cities and the human environment.

TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTION: VENTURE ACCELERATOR

MITdesignX provides resources to build new solutions, systems and ventures. Successful ventures exist at the intersection of design, business, science and technology. Interdisciplinary teams of creative thinkers and makers fast-track the development of their innovations and launch ventures into the marketplace. We turn ideas into action.

Reasons to Join

Venture Design
The accelerator is rooted on two customized interdisciplinary courses: (1) An intensive Bootcamp during the MIT winter semester (IAP) and (2) A 4-month accelerator program during the Spring term where teams and ideas evolve into startups. Using design thinking methodology, the courses present tools and strategies for entrepreneurs to test and build their ventures.
Academic Credits
Participants in the MITdesignX Venture Accelerator receive a total of 18 academic credits. 6 in the IAP Bootcamp and 12 in the Spring semester course.
Funding
Each team in the accelerator receives a $10,000 equity-free no strings attached grant for project related expenses. Specific details on the distribution and rules governing the distribution of funds is found in our FAQ page.
Pilot Opportunities
Accelerator teams must engage in active market research and continuous prototyping of their core concept, venturing out to meet actual customers, users and stakeholders. The program encourages testing and retesting solutions in real-world settings. To enable this, MITdesignX and our partners, supporters and mentors help connect teams to pilot opportunities in the Boston/Cambridge area and around the world.
Workspace
We provide an exciting 24/7 work environment for our cohorts in a dynamic space located in the School of Architecture and Planning. After the Spring course, we help new startups find space in Cambridge, Boston, New York and beyond. Some startups also continue to use our space for the remainder of the calendar year.
Mentorship
Over 30 professionals with extensive experience in creating and leading ventures of various sizes and civic and business leaders provide in-depth guidance to MITdesignX teams. Their contribution includes assistance in general business strategy in addition to specific advisory support in technological, legal, financial and operational issues.
Network
MITdesignX teams have access to a vast network of academic and industry experts, alumni, civic and community organizations.
Community
We foster a culture of collaboration and creative problem solving. And we like to have fun! We are doing things we care about, because we think they will tangibly improve quality of life and the human environments.

THE MITDESIGNX VENTURE ACCELERATOR IS A NEW APPROACH TO DESIGN INNOVATION, ONE THAT IS BASED ON CREATIVE OPTIMISM, AND THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THE PROGRAM IS A LAUNCHING PAD FOR STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND FACULTY IN SA+P, AND THEIR COLLABORATORS ACROSS THE MIT COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD. WE TAILOR A SERIES OF DESIGN AND BUSINESS CLASSES, PROVIDE ACADEMIC CREDITS, GRANTS, WORKSPACE AND A WIDE NETWORK OF DEDICATED MENTORS, BUSINESS, INSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNMENT CONTACTS AND FUNDING SPECIALISTS TO BUILD NEW VENTURES.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

We look for creative innovators dedicated to improving the quality of life in cities and the human environment. MITdesignX seeks diverse, interdisciplinary teams working on challenging ideas with clear vision, passion and a drive to design solutions and launch real ventures.

Each Fall, applicants go through a rigorous selection process that reviews venture designs and ideas based on human and social impact, feasibility, uniqueness, and scalability as well as team composition, diversity and skillset. Finalists pitch before a panel of judges to enter the program.

Applicants may include graduate students, researchers, staff and/or faculty members from SA+P, MAD and their collaborators from across MIT, other universities and beyond.

Previous teams in MITdesignX have included participants from across MIT including SA+P, computer science, engineering, management, biology, and the humanities.

VENTURE DESIGN IN PRACTICE: ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK

Understand

What is the need/problem we aim to solve and who will benefit from our solution

Needs Analysis
Market
Segmenta­tion
Stakeholder Map
Deconstruc­tion

Need/problem description based on interviews and data insights

Determine who are your customers

Analysis of all stake-holder groups and how they benefit from a solution

An analysis of your research and a check on venture feasibility

Team statement describing what the venture is designed to do

Statement and images describing why stakeholders / customers would apply / buy the solution

Map of what the user will experience

Turn your ideas into actual products or systems for testing

Mission Design
Value
Proposi­tion
User Journey
Rapid Prototyping

Solve

What is our solution and why is it beneficial to all stakeholders

Envision

What do we want to achieve and what values guide our decision making

Team statement describing what the team aspires to achieve

Team manifesto outlining founder core values and leadership principles

How a venture creates, delivers, and captures value and generate revenue

Negotiation skills and learning how to recruit and partner with the right people

Vision Design
Founder's Values / Negotiations
Business Model
People and Partners
Action Plan
Financial Plan
Funding Strategy
Messaging And Pitches

A goal-oriented action plan for effective and fast scaling of your venture

Three year revenue and cost plans based on team vision and objectives

Introduction to funding options and calculation of funding needs

The venture storyline and key message to stakeholders and sponsors / investors

How will we launch, scale and fund our venture

Scale

MITDESIGNX TEAMS DESIGN VENTURES. THEY CREATE A VISION, SYSTEM, STRATEGY, AND BUSINESS MODEL AND BUILD PROTOTYPES THAT EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND FUNCTION OF THEIR IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS. OUR ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK CONSISTS OF FOUR STEPS. EACH STEP INCLUDES A SET OF INTEGRATED MODULES WHERE TEAMS EXPLORE TOPICS THROUGH WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, PINUPS, MENTOR SESSIONS, SITE VISITS AND DIRECT CUSTOMER INTERACTION.

The first step of the framework is to understand the need or problem the new venture is being designed to solve. The teams engage directly with people and stakeholders to learn as much as possible about who they are, and what are their needs and pain points. Based on that understanding, the second step is to clearly define the core concept/function/product/service that will provide the required solution. The third step is to envision what the venture and its founders want to achieve, and define the fundamental principles that will guide their decision making, development and operations including financing of the venture. The fourth and final step is focused on developing a master plan of priorities, people, processes and funds needed to effectively deploy and scale the venture.

 

At the end of the program, all teams will have developed a prototype, investor pitch deck and a “masterplan” for their venture – outlining key actions and strategies. The accelerator program culminates with a pitch night for teams to introduce their ventures to hundreds of investors, stakeholders, civic and industry partners.

RESEARCH

Research is at the core of the MITdesignX program. The academic framework of the accelerator is reinforced by discovery of new knowledge through rigorous research and learning experiences examining disruption and innovation within the design and urban domains. Co-creation, collaboration, and the exploration of ideas fuel the discovery process and aid the innovative strategies of MITdesignX teams. This discovery process draws on advanced research projects led by faculty and researchers focused on entrepreneurial performance, education for innovation and design solutions for cities and the human environment.

INTERNSHIPS

During the summer and IAP, we work with MISTI to support internship opportunities in Reykjavik, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Venice and Hong Kong.

Contact us for more information.

GLOBAL IMPACT

Our work and the work of MITdesignX ventures is designed to have a global impact. Through several international partnerships, we expand academic and venture networks for our students, faculty and researchers. Projects include our workshop with the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, social venture workshop with the University of Iceland, accelerators in Venice with SerenDPT, and in Dubai with DIEZ, Dtec and GGH, and a collaboration with OGS and MISTI working with Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs. And of course, MITdesignX ventures create their own impact with their work around the globe.

 

 

MITdesignX

MITdesignX is an academic program in the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) and part of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MIT MAD).  We are dedicated to design innovation and entrepreneurship and empower students, faculty and researchers to build new business ventures and forward-thinking solutions designed to address critical challenges facing the future of cities and the human environment.

TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTION: VENTURE ACCELERATOR

MITdesignX provides resources to build new solutions, systems and ventures. Successful ventures exist at the intersection of design, business, science and technology. Interdisciplinary teams of creative thinkers and makers fast-track the development of their innovations and launch ventures into the marketplace. We turn ideas into action.

Reasons to Join

Venture Design
The accelerator is rooted on two customized interdisciplinary courses: (1) An intensive Bootcamp during the MIT winter semester (IAP) and (2) A 4-month accelerator program during the Spring term where teams and ideas evolve into startups. Using design thinking methodology, the courses present tools and strategies for entrepreneurs to test and build their ventures.
Academic Credits
Participants in the MITdesignX Venture Accelerator receive a total of 18 academic credits. 6 in the IAP Bootcamp and 12 in the Spring semester course.
Funding
Each team in the accelerator receives a $10,000 equity-free no strings attached grant for project related expenses. Specific details on the distribution and rules governing the distribution of funds is found in our FAQ page.
Pilot Opportunities
Accelerator teams must engage in active market research and continuous prototyping of their core concept, venturing out to meet actual customers, users and stakeholders. The program encourages testing and retesting solutions in real-world settings. To enable this, MITdesignX and our partners, supporters and mentors help connect teams to pilot opportunities in the Boston/Cambridge area and around the world.
Workspace
We provide an exciting 24/7 work environment for our cohorts in a dynamic space located in the School of Architecture and Planning. After the Spring course, we help new startups find space in Cambridge, Boston, New York and beyond. Some startups also continue to use our space for the remainder of the calendar year.
Mentorship
Over 30 professionals with extensive experience in creating and leading ventures of various sizes and civic and business leaders provide in-depth guidance to MITdesignX teams. Their contribution includes assistance in general business strategy in addition to specific advisory support in technological, legal, financial and operational issues.
Network
MITdesignX teams have access to a vast network of academic and industry experts, alumni, civic and community organizations.
Community
We foster a culture of collaboration and creative problem solving. And we like to have fun! We are doing things we care about, because we think they will tangibly improve quality of life and the human environments.

THE MITDESIGNX VENTURE ACCELERATOR IS A NEW APPROACH TO DESIGN INNOVATION, ONE THAT IS BASED ON CREATIVE OPTIMISM, AND THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THE PROGRAM IS A LAUNCHING PAD FOR STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND FACULTY IN SA+P, AND THEIR COLLABORATORS ACROSS THE MIT COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD. WE TAILOR A SERIES OF DESIGN AND BUSINESS CLASSES, PROVIDE ACADEMIC CREDITS, GRANTS, WORKSPACE AND A WIDE NETWORK OF DEDICATED MENTORS, BUSINESS, INSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNMENT CONTACTS AND FUNDING SPECIALISTS TO BUILD NEW VENTURES.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

We look for creative innovators dedicated to improving the quality of life in cities and the human environment. MITdesignX seeks diverse, interdisciplinary teams working on challenging ideas with clear vision, passion and a drive to design solutions and launch real ventures.

Each Fall, applicants go through a rigorous selection process that reviews venture designs and ideas based on human and social impact, feasibility, uniqueness, and scalability as well as team composition, diversity and skillset. Finalists pitch before a panel of judges to enter the program.

Applicants may include graduate students, researchers, staff and/or faculty members from SA+P, MAD and their collaborators from across MIT, other universities and beyond.

Previous teams in MITdesignX have included participants from across MIT including SA+P, computer science, engineering, management, biology, and the humanities.

VENTURE DESIGN IN PRACTICE: ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK

Understand

What is the need/problem we aim to solve and who will benefit from our solution

Needs Analysis
Market
Segmenta­tion
Stakeholder Map
Deconstruc­tion

Need/problem description based on interviews and data insights

Determine who are your customers

Analysis of all stake-holder groups and how they benefit from a solution

An analysis of your research and a check on venture feasibility

Team statement describing what the venture is designed to do

Statement and images describing why stakeholders / customers would apply / buy the solution

Map of what the user will experience

Turn your ideas into actual products or systems for testing

Mission Design
Value
Proposi­tion
User Journey
Rapid Prototyping

Solve

What is our solution and why is it beneficial to all stakeholders

Envision

What do we want to achieve and what values guide our decision making

Team statement describing what the team aspires to achieve

Team manifesto outlining founder core values and leadership principles

How a venture creates, delivers, and captures value and generate revenue

Negotiation skills and learning how to recruit and partner with the right people

Vision Design
Founder's Values / Negotiations
Business Model
People and Partners
Action Plan
Financial Plan
Funding Strategy
Messaging And Pitches

A goal-oriented action plan for effective and fast scaling of your venture

Three year revenue and cost plans based on team vision and objectives

Introduction to funding options and calculation of funding needs

The venture storyline and key message to stakeholders and sponsors / investors

How will we launch, scale and fund our venture

Scale

MITDESIGNX TEAMS DESIGN VENTURES. THEY CREATE A VISION, SYSTEM, STRATEGY, AND BUSINESS MODEL AND BUILD PROTOTYPES THAT EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND FUNCTION OF THEIR IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS. OUR ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK CONSISTS OF FOUR STEPS. EACH STEP INCLUDES A SET OF INTEGRATED MODULES WHERE TEAMS EXPLORE TOPICS THROUGH WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, PINUPS, MENTOR SESSIONS, SITE VISITS AND DIRECT CUSTOMER INTERACTION.

The first step of the framework is to understand the need or problem the new venture is being designed to solve. The teams engage directly with people and stakeholders to learn as much as possible about who they are, and what are their needs and pain points. Based on that understanding, the second step is to clearly define the core concept/function/product/service that will provide the required solution. The third step is to envision what the venture and its founders want to achieve, and define the fundamental principles that will guide their decision making, development and operations including financing of the venture. The fourth and final step is focused on developing a master plan of priorities, people, processes and funds needed to effectively deploy and scale the venture.

 

At the end of the program, all teams will have developed a prototype, investor pitch deck and a “masterplan” for their venture – outlining key actions and strategies. The accelerator program culminates with a pitch night for teams to introduce their ventures to hundreds of investors, stakeholders, civic and industry partners.

RESEARCH

Research is at the core of the MITdesignX program. The academic framework of the accelerator is reinforced by discovery of new knowledge through rigorous research and learning experiences examining disruption and innovation within the design and urban domains. Co-creation, collaboration, and the exploration of ideas fuel the discovery process and aid the innovative strategies of MITdesignX teams. This discovery process draws on advanced research projects led by faculty and researchers focused on entrepreneurial performance, education for innovation and design solutions for cities and the human environment.

INTERNSHIPS

During the summer and IAP, we work with MISTI to support internship opportunities in Reykjavik, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Venice and Hong Kong.

Contact us for more information.

GLOBAL IMPACT

Our work and the work of MITdesignX ventures is designed to have a global impact. Through several international partnerships, we expand academic and venture networks for our students, faculty and researchers. Projects include our workshop with the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, social venture workshop with the University of Iceland, accelerators in Venice with SerenDPT, and in Dubai with DIEZ, Dtec and GGH, and a collaboration with OGS and MISTI working with Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs. And of course, MITdesignX ventures create their own impact with their work around the globe.

 

 

DesignX

School of Architecture and Planning / Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue 7—336
Cambridge MA 02139

Consult with Us

MITdesignX faculty and staff are available for inquiries and consultations throughout the year. Please email us to sign up for office hours.

Find Us

MIT Accelerating Innovation in Design, Cities, and the Built Environemnt
Littor.al Predictive mapping to protect coastal communities and regions.
Loopa Furniture asset manager and marketplace.
SofDesk Medium is the Massage. Tailor-made technology that feels you.
Ingot AI A computer vision-based 3D monitoring technology synced with a marketplace that helps contractors efficiently manage and resell construction waste
Chakula bora Safer food systems for all
romps A good fit for growing feet
The Middle Frame Not your typical Arab images
Visible Hands Inclusion improves innovation.
Rarify Experience rare design.
Harness the Heat Urban comfort out of thin air
Tangible A location Intelligence, AI prediction platform built to help tangible businesses scale.
ReFuse Using the value of waste to create better living conditions in refugee camps.
Somoto Somoto transforms community infrastructure into creative learning spaces for young people
T-Space Improving transit stations through revolutionary retail
p(art)ner Matching developers with diverse artists and managing public art requirements
Out of the Box Creating exceptional learning environments, right out of the box
Elements Design learning in a box
ECHO Digital platform to improve housing and mobility choices of lower income populations
Buy-In Database and platform to improve government buy-out process of flood prone properties
acelab Preconstruction intelligence for architects and manufacturers
Starlings Technology Enhancing the sustainability, safety, and harmony of urban streets with peer-to-peer synchronized technology for micromobility
TULU Live Large in Small Space
Bandhu’ Enabling low income workers in India to make insightful seasonal migration decisions for employment, housing and transportation.
Ogee! A business-to-consumer company that will help homeowners save their architectural histories using digital fabrication.
Spatio Metrics Creating a world where every building makes us healthier
Quipu A marketplace digitalization of informal economies operating in low income environments
Zilper Trenchless A novel machine for installing pipelines in urban environments without digging trenches.
Nesterly A social enterprise that matches empty nesters with graduate students to provide housing and social solutions.
HostaLabs Software algorithms to turn simple pictures into intelligent 3D models for design and renovation.
Placeful Technology to identify, design and develop neighborhood-scale housing with the efficiencies of larger development.
LearningBeautiful Creating Montessori-inspired toys for young children to learn computer science-without using computers.
Bitsence A space utilization analytics company helping managers of physical space maximize the utility of their assets through automated monitoring.
Biobot Analytics Measuring the concentration of drugs that are excreted in urine and collected in sewers and mapping this data to empower communities to tackle the opioid epidemic in real time.
Alight Transforming public buses into vehicles of urban exploration by employing audio-augmented reality on smartphones.
Airworks Capturing and converting aerial imagery into digital CAD plans for site surveys and construction monitoring.
Frolic Revolutionary new financing model for homeownership that allows a greater cross section of society to engage in the housing market.
Kawsay Connecting infrastructure providers with people living in informal communities in the developing world.
predictRE Software to help commercial real estate investors, brokers, and lenders make data-driven investment decisions based on planning and environmental trends and forecasts.
Spaceus Empowering creative communities in cities by transforming vacant and underutilized buildings into collective and collaborative artist studios and gallery space.
Season Three Next generation all-weather boot sold direct-to-consumer.
SkinPixel Real-time diagnostic "smart tattoo" for human skin to monitor levels of blood analytes like glucose, sodium, potassium, albumin, and others such as those found on a basic blood panel.
Dormio Physical and digital interface to influence and record your dreams.
PREPHub Public space infrastructure for disaster resilience and response.
Credi Early childhood learning environment furniture in rural and developing parts of India.
Adaviv AI-enabled adaptive environment for improving yields in indoor agriculture.

MITdesignX

MITdesignX is an academic program in the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) and part of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MIT MAD).  We are dedicated to design innovation and entrepreneurship and empower students, faculty and researchers to build new business ventures and forward-thinking solutions designed to address critical challenges facing the future of cities and the human environment.

TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTION: VENTURE ACCELERATOR

MITdesignX provides resources to build new solutions, systems and ventures. Successful ventures exist at the intersection of design, business, science and technology. Interdisciplinary teams of creative thinkers and makers fast-track the development of their innovations and launch ventures into the marketplace. We turn ideas into action.

Reasons to Join

Venture Design
The accelerator is rooted on two customized interdisciplinary courses: (1) An intensive Bootcamp during the MIT winter semester (IAP) and (2) A 4-month accelerator program during the Spring term where teams and ideas evolve into startups. Using design thinking methodology, the courses present tools and strategies for entrepreneurs to test and build their ventures.
Academic Credits
Participants in the MITdesignX Venture Accelerator receive a total of 18 academic credits. 6 in the IAP Bootcamp and 12 in the Spring semester course.
Funding
Each team in the accelerator receives a $10,000 equity-free no strings attached grant for project related expenses. Specific details on the distribution and rules governing the distribution of funds is found in our FAQ page.
Pilot Opportunities
Accelerator teams must engage in active market research and continuous prototyping of their core concept, venturing out to meet actual customers, users and stakeholders. The program encourages testing and retesting solutions in real-world settings. To enable this, MITdesignX and our partners, supporters and mentors help connect teams to pilot opportunities in the Boston/Cambridge area and around the world.
Workspace
We provide an exciting 24/7 work environment for our cohorts in a dynamic space located in the School of Architecture and Planning. After the Spring course, we help new startups find space in Cambridge, Boston, New York and beyond. Some startups also continue to use our space for the remainder of the calendar year.
Mentorship
Over 30 professionals with extensive experience in creating and leading ventures of various sizes and civic and business leaders provide in-depth guidance to MITdesignX teams. Their contribution includes assistance in general business strategy in addition to specific advisory support in technological, legal, financial and operational issues.
Network
MITdesignX teams have access to a vast network of academic and industry experts, alumni, civic and community organizations.
Community
We foster a culture of collaboration and creative problem solving. And we like to have fun! We are doing things we care about, because we think they will tangibly improve quality of life and the human environments.

THE MITDESIGNX VENTURE ACCELERATOR IS A NEW APPROACH TO DESIGN INNOVATION, ONE THAT IS BASED ON CREATIVE OPTIMISM, AND THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THE PROGRAM IS A LAUNCHING PAD FOR STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND FACULTY IN SA+P, AND THEIR COLLABORATORS ACROSS THE MIT COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD. WE TAILOR A SERIES OF DESIGN AND BUSINESS CLASSES, PROVIDE ACADEMIC CREDITS, GRANTS, WORKSPACE AND A WIDE NETWORK OF DEDICATED MENTORS, BUSINESS, INSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNMENT CONTACTS AND FUNDING SPECIALISTS TO BUILD NEW VENTURES.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

We look for creative innovators dedicated to improving the quality of life in cities and the human environment. MITdesignX seeks diverse, interdisciplinary teams working on challenging ideas with clear vision, passion and a drive to design solutions and launch real ventures.

Each Fall, applicants go through a rigorous selection process that reviews venture designs and ideas based on human and social impact, feasibility, uniqueness, and scalability as well as team composition, diversity and skillset. Finalists pitch before a panel of judges to enter the program.

Applicants may include graduate students, researchers, staff and/or faculty members from SA+P, MAD and their collaborators from across MIT, other universities and beyond.

Previous teams in MITdesignX have included participants from across MIT including SA+P, computer science, engineering, management, biology, and the humanities.

VENTURE DESIGN IN PRACTICE: ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK

Understand

What is the need/problem we aim to solve and who will benefit from our solution

Needs Analysis
Market
Segmenta­tion
Stakeholder Map
Deconstruc­tion

Need/problem description based on interviews and data insights

Determine who are your customers

Analysis of all stake-holder groups and how they benefit from a solution

An analysis of your research and a check on venture feasibility

Team statement describing what the venture is designed to do

Statement and images describing why stakeholders / customers would apply / buy the solution

Map of what the user will experience

Turn your ideas into actual products or systems for testing

Mission Design
Value
Proposi­tion
User Journey
Rapid Prototyping

Solve

What is our solution and why is it beneficial to all stakeholders

Envision

What do we want to achieve and what values guide our decision making

Team statement describing what the team aspires to achieve

Team manifesto outlining founder core values and leadership principles

How a venture creates, delivers, and captures value and generate revenue

Negotiation skills and learning how to recruit and partner with the right people

Vision Design
Founder's Values / Negotiations
Business Model
People and Partners
Action Plan
Financial Plan
Funding Strategy
Messaging And Pitches

A goal-oriented action plan for effective and fast scaling of your venture

Three year revenue and cost plans based on team vision and objectives

Introduction to funding options and calculation of funding needs

The venture storyline and key message to stakeholders and sponsors / investors

How will we launch, scale and fund our venture

Scale

MITDESIGNX TEAMS DESIGN VENTURES. THEY CREATE A VISION, SYSTEM, STRATEGY, AND BUSINESS MODEL AND BUILD PROTOTYPES THAT EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND FUNCTION OF THEIR IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS. OUR ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK CONSISTS OF FOUR STEPS. EACH STEP INCLUDES A SET OF INTEGRATED MODULES WHERE TEAMS EXPLORE TOPICS THROUGH WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, PINUPS, MENTOR SESSIONS, SITE VISITS AND DIRECT CUSTOMER INTERACTION.

The first step of the framework is to understand the need or problem the new venture is being designed to solve. The teams engage directly with people and stakeholders to learn as much as possible about who they are, and what are their needs and pain points. Based on that understanding, the second step is to clearly define the core concept/function/product/service that will provide the required solution. The third step is to envision what the venture and its founders want to achieve, and define the fundamental principles that will guide their decision making, development and operations including financing of the venture. The fourth and final step is focused on developing a master plan of priorities, people, processes and funds needed to effectively deploy and scale the venture.

 

At the end of the program, all teams will have developed a prototype, investor pitch deck and a “masterplan” for their venture – outlining key actions and strategies. The accelerator program culminates with a pitch night for teams to introduce their ventures to hundreds of investors, stakeholders, civic and industry partners.

RESEARCH

Research is at the core of the MITdesignX program. The academic framework of the accelerator is reinforced by discovery of new knowledge through rigorous research and learning experiences examining disruption and innovation within the design and urban domains. Co-creation, collaboration, and the exploration of ideas fuel the discovery process and aid the innovative strategies of MITdesignX teams. This discovery process draws on advanced research projects led by faculty and researchers focused on entrepreneurial performance, education for innovation and design solutions for cities and the human environment.

INTERNSHIPS

During the summer and IAP, we work with MISTI to support internship opportunities in Reykjavik, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Venice and Hong Kong.

Contact us for more information.

GLOBAL IMPACT

Our work and the work of MITdesignX ventures is designed to have a global impact. Through several international partnerships, we expand academic and venture networks for our students, faculty and researchers. Projects include our workshop with the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, social venture workshop with the University of Iceland, accelerators in Venice with SerenDPT, and in Dubai with DIEZ, Dtec and GGH, and a collaboration with OGS and MISTI working with Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs. And of course, MITdesignX ventures create their own impact with their work around the globe.

 

 

DesignX

School of Architecture and Planning / Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue 7—336
Cambridge MA 02139

Consult with Us

MITdesignX faculty and staff are available for inquiries and consultations throughout the year. Please email us to sign up for office hours.

Find Us

MITdesignX - MITdesignX
MIT Accelerating Innovation in Design, Cities, and the Built Environemnt
Littor.al Predictive mapping to protect coastal communities and regions.
Loopa Furniture asset manager and marketplace.
SofDesk Medium is the Massage. Tailor-made technology that feels you.
Ingot AI A computer vision-based 3D monitoring technology synced with a marketplace that helps contractors efficiently manage and resell construction waste
Chakula bora Safer food systems for all
romps A good fit for growing feet
The Middle Frame Not your typical Arab images
Visible Hands Inclusion improves innovation.
Rarify Experience rare design.
Harness the Heat Urban comfort out of thin air
Tangible A location Intelligence, AI prediction platform built to help tangible businesses scale.
ReFuse Using the value of waste to create better living conditions in refugee camps.
Somoto Somoto transforms community infrastructure into creative learning spaces for young people
T-Space Improving transit stations through revolutionary retail
p(art)ner Matching developers with diverse artists and managing public art requirements
Out of the Box Creating exceptional learning environments, right out of the box
Elements Design learning in a box
ECHO Digital platform to improve housing and mobility choices of lower income populations
Buy-In Database and platform to improve government buy-out process of flood prone properties
acelab Preconstruction intelligence for architects and manufacturers
Starlings Technology Enhancing the sustainability, safety, and harmony of urban streets with peer-to-peer synchronized technology for micromobility
TULU Live Large in Small Space
Bandhu’ Enabling low income workers in India to make insightful seasonal migration decisions for employment, housing and transportation.
Ogee! A business-to-consumer company that will help homeowners save their architectural histories using digital fabrication.
Spatio Metrics Creating a world where every building makes us healthier
Quipu A marketplace digitalization of informal economies operating in low income environments
Zilper Trenchless A novel machine for installing pipelines in urban environments without digging trenches.
Nesterly A social enterprise that matches empty nesters with graduate students to provide housing and social solutions.
HostaLabs Software algorithms to turn simple pictures into intelligent 3D models for design and renovation.
Placeful Technology to identify, design and develop neighborhood-scale housing with the efficiencies of larger development.
LearningBeautiful Creating Montessori-inspired toys for young children to learn computer science-without using computers.
Bitsence A space utilization analytics company helping managers of physical space maximize the utility of their assets through automated monitoring.
Biobot Analytics Measuring the concentration of drugs that are excreted in urine and collected in sewers and mapping this data to empower communities to tackle the opioid epidemic in real time.
Alight Transforming public buses into vehicles of urban exploration by employing audio-augmented reality on smartphones.
Airworks Capturing and converting aerial imagery into digital CAD plans for site surveys and construction monitoring.
Frolic Revolutionary new financing model for homeownership that allows a greater cross section of society to engage in the housing market.
Kawsay Connecting infrastructure providers with people living in informal communities in the developing world.
predictRE Software to help commercial real estate investors, brokers, and lenders make data-driven investment decisions based on planning and environmental trends and forecasts.
Spaceus Empowering creative communities in cities by transforming vacant and underutilized buildings into collective and collaborative artist studios and gallery space.
Season Three Next generation all-weather boot sold direct-to-consumer.
SkinPixel Real-time diagnostic "smart tattoo" for human skin to monitor levels of blood analytes like glucose, sodium, potassium, albumin, and others such as those found on a basic blood panel.
Dormio Physical and digital interface to influence and record your dreams.
PREPHub Public space infrastructure for disaster resilience and response.
Credi Early childhood learning environment furniture in rural and developing parts of India.
Adaviv AI-enabled adaptive environment for improving yields in indoor agriculture.

MITdesignX

MITdesignX is an academic program in the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) and part of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MIT MAD).  We are dedicated to design innovation and entrepreneurship and empower students, faculty and researchers to build new business ventures and forward-thinking solutions designed to address critical challenges facing the future of cities and the human environment.

TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTION: VENTURE ACCELERATOR

MITdesignX provides resources to build new solutions, systems and ventures. Successful ventures exist at the intersection of design, business, science and technology. Interdisciplinary teams of creative thinkers and makers fast-track the development of their innovations and launch ventures into the marketplace. We turn ideas into action.

Reasons to Join

Venture Design
The accelerator is rooted on two customized interdisciplinary courses: (1) An intensive Bootcamp during the MIT winter semester (IAP) and (2) A 4-month accelerator program during the Spring term where teams and ideas evolve into startups. Using design thinking methodology, the courses present tools and strategies for entrepreneurs to test and build their ventures.
Academic Credits
Participants in the MITdesignX Venture Accelerator receive a total of 18 academic credits. 6 in the IAP Bootcamp and 12 in the Spring semester course.
Funding
Each team in the accelerator receives a $10,000 equity-free no strings attached grant for project related expenses. Specific details on the distribution and rules governing the distribution of funds is found in our FAQ page.
Pilot Opportunities
Accelerator teams must engage in active market research and continuous prototyping of their core concept, venturing out to meet actual customers, users and stakeholders. The program encourages testing and retesting solutions in real-world settings. To enable this, MITdesignX and our partners, supporters and mentors help connect teams to pilot opportunities in the Boston/Cambridge area and around the world.
Workspace
We provide an exciting 24/7 work environment for our cohorts in a dynamic space located in the School of Architecture and Planning. After the Spring course, we help new startups find space in Cambridge, Boston, New York and beyond. Some startups also continue to use our space for the remainder of the calendar year.
Mentorship
Over 30 professionals with extensive experience in creating and leading ventures of various sizes and civic and business leaders provide in-depth guidance to MITdesignX teams. Their contribution includes assistance in general business strategy in addition to specific advisory support in technological, legal, financial and operational issues.
Network
MITdesignX teams have access to a vast network of academic and industry experts, alumni, civic and community organizations.
Community
We foster a culture of collaboration and creative problem solving. And we like to have fun! We are doing things we care about, because we think they will tangibly improve quality of life and the human environments.

THE MITDESIGNX VENTURE ACCELERATOR IS A NEW APPROACH TO DESIGN INNOVATION, ONE THAT IS BASED ON CREATIVE OPTIMISM, AND THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THE PROGRAM IS A LAUNCHING PAD FOR STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND FACULTY IN SA+P, AND THEIR COLLABORATORS ACROSS THE MIT COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD. WE TAILOR A SERIES OF DESIGN AND BUSINESS CLASSES, PROVIDE ACADEMIC CREDITS, GRANTS, WORKSPACE AND A WIDE NETWORK OF DEDICATED MENTORS, BUSINESS, INSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNMENT CONTACTS AND FUNDING SPECIALISTS TO BUILD NEW VENTURES.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

We look for creative innovators dedicated to improving the quality of life in cities and the human environment. MITdesignX seeks diverse, interdisciplinary teams working on challenging ideas with clear vision, passion and a drive to design solutions and launch real ventures.

Each Fall, applicants go through a rigorous selection process that reviews venture designs and ideas based on human and social impact, feasibility, uniqueness, and scalability as well as team composition, diversity and skillset. Finalists pitch before a panel of judges to enter the program.

Applicants may include graduate students, researchers, staff and/or faculty members from SA+P, MAD and their collaborators from across MIT, other universities and beyond.

Previous teams in MITdesignX have included participants from across MIT including SA+P, computer science, engineering, management, biology, and the humanities.

VENTURE DESIGN IN PRACTICE: ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK

Understand

What is the need/problem we aim to solve and who will benefit from our solution

Needs Analysis
Market
Segmenta­tion
Stakeholder Map
Deconstruc­tion

Need/problem description based on interviews and data insights

Determine who are your customers

Analysis of all stake-holder groups and how they benefit from a solution

An analysis of your research and a check on venture feasibility

Team statement describing what the venture is designed to do

Statement and images describing why stakeholders / customers would apply / buy the solution

Map of what the user will experience

Turn your ideas into actual products or systems for testing

Mission Design
Value
Proposi­tion
User Journey
Rapid Prototyping

Solve

What is our solution and why is it beneficial to all stakeholders

Envision

What do we want to achieve and what values guide our decision making

Team statement describing what the team aspires to achieve

Team manifesto outlining founder core values and leadership principles

How a venture creates, delivers, and captures value and generate revenue

Negotiation skills and learning how to recruit and partner with the right people

Vision Design
Founder's Values / Negotiations
Business Model
People and Partners
Action Plan
Financial Plan
Funding Strategy
Messaging And Pitches

A goal-oriented action plan for effective and fast scaling of your venture

Three year revenue and cost plans based on team vision and objectives

Introduction to funding options and calculation of funding needs

The venture storyline and key message to stakeholders and sponsors / investors

How will we launch, scale and fund our venture

Scale

MITDESIGNX TEAMS DESIGN VENTURES. THEY CREATE A VISION, SYSTEM, STRATEGY, AND BUSINESS MODEL AND BUILD PROTOTYPES THAT EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND FUNCTION OF THEIR IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS. OUR ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK CONSISTS OF FOUR STEPS. EACH STEP INCLUDES A SET OF INTEGRATED MODULES WHERE TEAMS EXPLORE TOPICS THROUGH WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, PINUPS, MENTOR SESSIONS, SITE VISITS AND DIRECT CUSTOMER INTERACTION.

The first step of the framework is to understand the need or problem the new venture is being designed to solve. The teams engage directly with people and stakeholders to learn as much as possible about who they are, and what are their needs and pain points. Based on that understanding, the second step is to clearly define the core concept/function/product/service that will provide the required solution. The third step is to envision what the venture and its founders want to achieve, and define the fundamental principles that will guide their decision making, development and operations including financing of the venture. The fourth and final step is focused on developing a master plan of priorities, people, processes and funds needed to effectively deploy and scale the venture.

 

At the end of the program, all teams will have developed a prototype, investor pitch deck and a “masterplan” for their venture – outlining key actions and strategies. The accelerator program culminates with a pitch night for teams to introduce their ventures to hundreds of investors, stakeholders, civic and industry partners.

RESEARCH

Research is at the core of the MITdesignX program. The academic framework of the accelerator is reinforced by discovery of new knowledge through rigorous research and learning experiences examining disruption and innovation within the design and urban domains. Co-creation, collaboration, and the exploration of ideas fuel the discovery process and aid the innovative strategies of MITdesignX teams. This discovery process draws on advanced research projects led by faculty and researchers focused on entrepreneurial performance, education for innovation and design solutions for cities and the human environment.

INTERNSHIPS

During the summer and IAP, we work with MISTI to support internship opportunities in Reykjavik, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Venice and Hong Kong.

Contact us for more information.

GLOBAL IMPACT

Our work and the work of MITdesignX ventures is designed to have a global impact. Through several international partnerships, we expand academic and venture networks for our students, faculty and researchers. Projects include our workshop with the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, social venture workshop with the University of Iceland, accelerators in Venice with SerenDPT, and in Dubai with DIEZ, Dtec and GGH, and a collaboration with OGS and MISTI working with Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs. And of course, MITdesignX ventures create their own impact with their work around the globe.

 

 

DesignX

School of Architecture and Planning / Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue 7—336
Cambridge MA 02139

Consult with Us

MITdesignX faculty and staff are available for inquiries and consultations throughout the year. Please email us to sign up for office hours.

Find Us